Jane Seymour poses for Playboy, recalls how she almost quit acting after being sexually harassed

With a career that spans over 45 years, Jane Seymour knows a thing or two about longevity. The award-winning actress and activist sits down with Dr. Manny to talk about how she keeps a healthy mind and body

Third time’s a charm for this former Bond girl.

At age 67, Jane Seymour is posing for a Playboy pictorial for the third time after being photographed for the July 1973 and January 1987 issues. And the British star insisted it has never felt so good to unveil her vulnerable side for the magazine.

“I feel much sexier now than I ever did when I was younger,” she told Playboy Wednesday. “Then, I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m supposed to be sexy. What is that?! There’s an enormous freedom in having lived as long as I have. Like my father used to say, ‘I’m comfortable in my own skin.’”

Seymour is also feeling good about her lasting success in Hollywood. The actress, who originally had dreams of becoming a ballerina, threw herself into auditions after she suffered an injury at age 17 that prevented her from dancing.

Not only did she take her stage name after King Henry VIII’s third wife (she was actually born Joyce Frankenberg), but she was determined to find work, even if it meant moving across the country to California with no agent or money.

In 1972, Seymour revealed a bigshot producer, who asked her to visit his home to watch a screen test for a role, allegedly assaulted her.

Jane Seymour for Playboy.
(Aaron Feaver)

Seymour claimed he put his hand on her leg “in the wrong place,” prompting her to do “the British cross the leg, move down the couch routine,” all while convincing herself he would stop. However, the producer allegedly pressed on. The star, who described herself as being terrified and shaken, asked him to call her a cab.

“He put me in a car and said, ‘If anyone knows you ever came here, if you ever tell anyone, ever, I’ll guarantee you never work again anywhere on the planet,’” she recalled. “And he had that power. I got in the cab and cried, terrified… The only reason I’ve ever told that story is that women should have a choice… I was put in a situation where I couldn’t show what I could do. And I’m a person who, when something bad happens, I get over it and move forward.”

However, Seymour did have a tough time coping with the incident. The actress said she quit acting and went back to England.

Actress Jane Seymour touches her star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame during ceremonies in Hollywood, April 20, 1999.
(Reuters)

“I got fat,” she explained. “I baked bread and ate a whole loaf every morning and did needlepoint. I decided I wasn’t going to do this anymore. I wasn’t prepared to do what had to be done.”

However, when Seymour was given the chance to appear on stage for “A Doll’s House,” she took the chance – and the rest is history.

“People say, ‘You’re like a phoenix.’ No, I just had a strong role model in my mother,” she said. “Everyone will have challenges. Your natural instinct is to close up your heart and let it eat you up. Do something to help someone else. It will heal you. You’ll be like a magnet when you do that. Light to firefly.”